Fish pole holder



y 1953 P. 'BASTIE 3,089,674

FISH POLE HOLDER Filed Nov. 29, 1960 Jive/@602"- PM (3251222.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,689,674 Patented May 14, 1963 3,089,674 FISH POLE HOLDER Paul Bastie, 211 Sheridan Road, McHenry, lll. Filed Nov. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 72,436 6 Claims. (Cl. 248--40) The invention relates generally to holders and more particularly to a holder for fish poles and the like.

The invention is particularly directed to a holder for fish poles and the like, by means of which a pole may be supported from a boat or other object, and has among its objects the production of a holder which is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and very eflicient for the purposes intended.

Another object of the invention is the production of such a holder which may be readily mounted in an oarlock or the like of a boat and which is so designed that it will hold the pole in any desired position.

A further object of the invention is the production of such a pole holder which is so designed that it will firmly retain poles of various sizes and yet may be readily actuated to release the pole when desired.

A further object of the invention is the production of such a pole holder which may be readily provided with means for attaching the same to a boat by means of the oar-lock, at the same time spacing the pole holder from the oar lock to permit support of the pole while the oar-lock is in use.

Many other objects of the invention herein shown and described will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure given.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pole holder embodying the invention, illustrating the same as mounted the oar-lock of a boat or the like;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the holder illustrated in FIG. 1, with the pole shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the holder illustrated in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a mounting member for use with the holder illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, by means of which the holder may be spaced from the oar-lock.

The present invention contemplates the utilization of a pole holder structure which is so designed that it may be readily mounted in an oar-lock or the like, or secured in place by means of the latter, at a point spaced from such oar-lock, the pole receiving portion of the structure being designed to firmly lock the pole in place but at the same time permit the pole to be quickly detached from the holder, as for example, following the hooking of a fish. The holder is also designed to permit adjustment of the inclination of the pole in the holder to meet the requirements of the user.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly FIGS. 1, 2. and 3, the reference numeral 1 indicates a holder constructed in accordance with the present invention, the handle or grip 2 of a fishing pole or the like being carried by the holder, which is adapted to be supported on the gunwale 3 of a boat or the like which has an oarlock receptacle or holder indicated generally by the numeral -4. The oar-lock holder 4 is illustrated as comprising an angular mounting portion 5 which carries a tubular portion 6 adapted to receive the stem or shank 7 or an oar-lock 8 as illustrated in FIG. 4. The oar-lock holder 4 may be secured to the boat by any suitable means such as a plurality of screws or the like.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises a supporting member or plate 9 which is adapted to be supported from the oar-lock holder 4 by means of a pin 11 or the like which is generally cylindrical in construction and of a size to be snugly received in the portion 6 of the oar-lock holder 4, the upper end of the member 11 being suitably formed to provide a fiat platelike terminal portion 12 which is secured to the member 9 by suitable means such as a bolt 13 which extends through apertures in the member & and portion 12 and is secured in place by a thumb nut 14, a suitable lock washer 15 or the like being mounted on the screw to prevent undesired movement of the parts when the thumb nut is tightened down. The pin 11 may be made of any suitable material, either of solid or tubular stock, preferably of light weight material such as aluminum or the like and is adapted to be held in mounted position on the oar-lock holder 4 by suitable means such as an arm 16 which is provided with a laterally extending portion 17, secured at one end to the pin 11 and provided at its opposite end with a downwardly extending flange or hook-like portion 18 which is adapted to engage the outer face of the combing of the boat to prevent turning of the pin ill and thus of the holder in the oar-lock. The member 16 may be secured to the pin 11 by any suitable means, such connection, in the embodiment illustrated, being effected by swedging or indenting of the member 16 as indicated at 19 to rigidly clamp the member 16 to the pin.

Carried by the supporting member 9 are a pair of ringlike or annular shaped members 21 and 22, each formed from strip material into a generally circular shape, the free ends brought into parallel relation to form a pair of mounting flanges 23 and 24 on the respective members 21 and 22. The member 21 which may be termed as a pole receiving member is adapted to be rigidly fastened to the supporting member 9 by suitable means such as a screw or rivet 25 which passes through the flanges 23 of the member 21 and through the member 9, the bolt 25, as illustrated, being secured in place by a nut 26. The pole retaining member 22 is likewise secured to the plate 9 by suitable means such as a rivet 27 which extends through the flange portion 24 of the member 22 and through the member 9, the rivet being so swedged that the member 22 is securely attached to the member 9 but is free to pivot about the axis of the rivet to a position such as illustrated in FIG. 2, the member being biased into a position illustrated in FIG. 2 by suitable means such as a tension spring 28 having one end passing through an opening or hole 29 in the member 22 and the opposite end extending around a portion of the screw 25 which projects outwardly from the adjacent flange 23, the screw being provided with suitable means such as sleeve 31 for spacing the screw suflieiently outwardly to permit engagement of the adjacent end of the spring 28 therewith.

The member 22 is also provided with a suitable handle member 32 secured to the member 22 by suitable means such as a rivet 33, the handle 32 providing means for manually rotating the member 22 about. the axis of the rivet 27.

l l l In use the holder is adapted to be mounted on the gunwale of a boat in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the pin 11 inserted in the portion of the oar-lock holder adapted to receive the shank or stem of the oar lock, the pin 11 preferably being of substantially the same diameter as such oar-lock pin, the member 16 overlying the gunwale of the boat and extending outwardly to position the free end or flange portion 18 at the outer edge of the gunwale, in which position it will rigidly lock the pin 11 in position in the oar-lock holder and prevent pivotal movement of the pin about its axis.

The fishing pole or other object is readily inserted in the holder by sliding the handle portion 2 of the rod through the receiving member 21, manually rotating the member 22 in a counterclockwise position as viewed in FIG. 2 to approximately the position illustrated in dotted lines or a little farther to permit insertion of the rod through the member 22 to permit the rod to assume the approximate position illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2 or as illustrated in FIG. 1, following which the handle portion 32 is released to permit the spring 28 to rotate the retaining member 22 into engagement with the pole. It will be appreciated that as the member 22 tends to rotate toward the member 21, any tendency of the pole 2 to move outwardly out of engagement with the holder will result in a wedging or locking action of the retaining member 22, tending to lock the same tighter on the pole and in view of this action a heavy spring is not required to actuate the retaining member.

If the user desires to increase the inclination of a pole carried by the holder, the thumb nut 14 is merely loosened, permitting the plate 9 to be rotated relative to the pin 11, thereby increasing or decreasing the inclination of a pole supported thereby with respect to the horizontal or vertical. In the event a fish is hooked and the operator desires to manually hold the pole, the latter may be readily withdrawn from the holder by pressing down on the handle 32 to release the retaining member 22 and sliding the pole outwardly out of engagement with the receiving member 21. This operation may be very quickly and easily accomplished without risking loss of the hooked fish, as might otherwise occur if the disconnect-ion involved slow or complicated movements or actions.

I have found that the device may be readily manufactured in light weight metals such as aluminum, in which case the pin 11 could be formed from tubular stock with the flattened end suitably swedged or formed.

In some cases it may be desirable to mount the holder at a distance from the oar-lock so that the latter may be employed with an oar, as for use in trolling or the like, wherein the oar-locks are in use.

This may be readily achieved by means of a novel bracket such as illustrated in FIG. 4, which is formed from suitable strip stock, provided at one end with a hole adapted to permit passage of the shank 7 of an oar-lock therethrough and having its opposite end reversely bent as indicated at 33, the reversely extending portion 36 having a hole therein aligned with a hole in the body portion of the strip of a size to receive the pin 11 and thereby support the holder therefrom, only the pin 11 being illustrated in FIG. 4. The member 34 is adapted to be maintained in fixed position on the gunwale of the boat by means of a retaining arm 37 secured by suitable means such as rivets 38 to the strip 34 and provided at its free end with a flange 39 adapted to extend at the inner edge of the gunwale and thereby prevent outward movement of the strip 34 and the holder supported thereby. In like manner the lower end of the pin 11 is adapted to extend downwardly below the upper edge of the outer face of the gunwale, thereby preventing inward movement of the strip 34 and the holder, so that the latter is effectively locked in position on the boat, but at the same time permitting use of the oar lock 8.

It will be appreciated that Whether mounted directly on the oar-lock holder or attached to the boat by means of the adapter strip 34-, the holder may be readily removed from the boat byeither withdrawing the same from out of the oar lock or disconnecting the strip 34 and the holder from the boat by removal of the oar-lock and withdrawal of the holder.

It will be apparent from the above description that I have provided a very simple yet highly efficient pole holder which is so designed that it will readily receive and maintain a pole in a desired position and at the same time permit easy withdrawal of the pole from the holder when desired. Likewise it will be noted that I have provided a pole holder which is detachably mounted on a boat, thereby enabling the user to readily remove the holder and if desired carry the same in a tackle box or the like, the holder readily holding to a position where it occupies relatively little space.

Having thus described my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a holder for fishing poles and the like, the combination of a supporting member, a pair of annularly shaped elements carried by said supporting member and having their axes alignable with one another, whereby a pole may be inserted in said elements and supported thereby, one of said elements being pivotally connected to the supporting member on an axis extending transversely to and spaced from the axis of such element, spring means operatively biasing said element in a direction to pivot said element out of axial alignment with the other element and into retentive engagement with an inserted pole, means connected to said member for mounting the latter on a supporting object, and means cooperable with said mounting means for restraining movement of said holder relative to such an object.

2. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting means comprises a rod-like member, pivotally connected to said supporting member about an axis extending transverse to said rod-like member, and of a size to be received in the bore of an oar-loek fixture of a boat and supported thereby.

3. A holder as defined in claim 2, wherein said cooperable means comprises an arm rigidly connected at one end to said rod like member and extending transversely therefrom, said arm terminating at its free end in a portion adapted to engage a part of a boat on which the holder may be mounted, operative to prevent pivotal movement of said rod like member in such an oar-lock fixture.

4. A holder as defined in claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes an elongated member constructed at one end for engagement with an oar-lock fixture of a boat on which the holder may be mounted to operatively connect the elongated member therewith, the opposite end of said elongated member being provided with means for engaging a portion of such a boat to restrict movement of said elongated member relative to the boat, said mounting means including another member detachably engageable with said elongated member adjacent the lastmentioned end of the latter.

5. As an article of manufacture, an attachment for connecting a fish pole holder or the like to a boat, comprising an elongated member constructed at one end for engagement with an oar-lock fixture of a boat on which the holder may be mounted with the member extending over the boat gunwale, the opposite end of said elongated member being provided with means for engaging a portion of such a boat to restrict movement of said elongated member relative to such a boat, said last mentioned end 5 6 of said elongated member having means formed thereon References Cited in the file of this patent for detachably receiving and supporting a portion of UNITED STATES PATENTS the fish pole holder to be carried thereby.

6. An attachment as defined in claim 5, wherein said 385,433 Meisselbach 8 means for receiving a portion of such a fish pole holder 5 1,095,905 M May 1914 is constructed to position the latter for engagement with $31 13;;- gg: h frth trit tf a portlon of sue a boat to u er res c movemen 0 2,642,690 Somksen June 9 1i I h t sald elongated In-ember re t ere 0 1,5 Messenger I p 25 

1. IN A HOLDER FOR FISHING POLES AND THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF A SUPPORTING MEMBER, A PAIR OF ANNULARLY SHAPED ELEMENTS CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND HAVING THEIR AXES ALIGNABLE WITH ONE ANOTHER, WHEREBY A POLE MAY BE INSERTED IN SAID ELEMENTS AND SUPPORTED THEREBY, ONE OF SAID ELEMENTS BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE SUPPORTING MEMBER ON AN AXIS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO AND SPACED FROM THE AXIS OF SUCH ELEMENT, SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY BIASING SAID ELEMENT IN A DIRECTION TO PIVOT SAID ELEMENT OUT OF AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE OTHER ELEMENT AND INTO RETENTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH AN INSERTED POLE, MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID MEMBER FOR MOUNTING THE LATTER ON A SUPPORTING OBJECT, AND MEANS COOPERABLE WITH SAID MOUNTING MEANS FOR RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID HOLDER RELATIVE TO SUCH AN OBJECT. 